New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-09-17
WHIPPED INTO LINE.

Mr.. Curtis and Mr.. Wattcrson are for once
witnesses on the same side. Mr.. Curtis testi-
iics in "Harper's Weekly that the President
permits without notice or reproof acts IN open
defiance of his orders. Referring TO inc
q large and active attendance of Democratic
of,ice-holdersu at the late Pennsyi-
wanna Convention and the Newly DIX
Committee meeting, Mr.. Curtis says
that this "epen and contemptuous
defiance of the Presidents warning, like the
notorious conduct of Higgins, RaIsln ana
Thomas in Baltimore, if it should pass WITHOUT
notice or reproof from the President, VINO
cannot be held to be ignorant OF the 1aetS
which are not partisan representations ou.
matters of public record, could be interpreters
in only one way as showing want Oh inc
very independence and courage, belief IN when
not only elected the President but has given
him great public confidence" One might
saw that Mr. Curtis uses involved ana en-
tangled expressions because his mind Is mlNeo
But through the thick mist there looms up
the portentous fact that, if the President CON
times long enough to treat his own order Win
contemptuous indifference, even Dir. CURTIS
will at last discover that Mr.. Cleveland Is
not the man he thought him.
Mr.. Watterson has not studied the use OF
words to conceal ideas, and so testlhes more
to the point. His engaging frankness places
him before the public in the attitude OF
scboolmaster with birch, which he has used
with effect on the unruly boy Cleveland, ana
he believes it will do the boy good. Why
criticise him so savagelys" he was asked
Mr.. Wattcrson replies Simply because he
had 10 be criticised The President and the
party were getting further and further apart
The President didn't understand the true
democratic sentiment, and he had TO be en-
Iiehtened in regard to it, That the oirchih2
did good Pcdagogue Watterson Is sure: MI.
Cleveland has proftcd by criticism, ana nc
is now one with the party" iLcst thclo
should be dim, Cmtisish haze OF misunder-
standing about his remarks. Mr.. Watterson
saws of Mr. Cleveland "Thcre is no doubt
hut nj one time he was committed to the
Mugwump idea Of Civil Service, and he was
carried By it to lengths that were not all
constitutional For instance, his removal
of district-attoneys for dlsrcgafding
ais orders was :" unwarrantedj many
mems heads have been brought to the axe
for less than that" Thus testIiies Mr. Wat
tcrson. and he who wields the birch has some
reason to know whether 1t is effective.
So we have President who was com
uitted.n but il not now; he has broken his
commitments. Mr.. Curtis says II the Prcsl-
dent keeps on breaking them great while ne
MIR. Curtis, will finally conclude that Mr.
Cleveland has not courage and independence
There never was reason for the belief that he
had. Mr. Curtis is himself more responsible
than any other man living for the hold when
that false belief obtained some minds.
When he begins to see that 1t never had any
foundation, and that Mr.. Cleveland was neither
hotter nor worse than the host Of politicians
who promise proflsely but do not perform,
the men Mr. Curtis has led astray may look
into the record for themselves. They VIII
find that Mr.. Cleveland never did anything
10 warrant confidence that he would resist
mis- party, or prove better than his party
He has been a man of loud professions. But
the most corrupt managers OF his party knew
him well enough to make him President, and
well enough to use him after he became Prcsi-
dent. Misled by sense of his own greatness,
Mr. Curtis fancied that he could control man
picked out and elected by Hubert o. Thomp-
son. Daniel Manning and Senator Gornan
The President is now one with his party,
according to Mr.. Watterson, and the conduct
of his subordinatcs in Maryland. Pennsylvania
and New ork-conduct which he passes
without notice or rebuke," IN the phrase OF
Mr. Curtis-provcs that they know the Presi-
dent lust as Mr.. Watterson knows him. These
keen politicians, to whom offices are bread
and butter, have not rashly stakcd their live
Iihood and their political existence upon a
bare possibility that the PRESIDENT night treat
bis own order with contempt. They absolutely
knew that he would, before they ever vent
ured to treat it with contempt themselves
II Mr.. Curtis cannot see that, everybody else
can.